The NET-RAM is a stand-alone DVD burner suitable for archiving information to a DVD-RAM disc up to 4.7GB single sided, 9.4GB double sided. The software purchased with the DVD allows for Unix, Mac and PC formatting, so that you can read your disc on a DVD attacked to a Mac or PC.
Just to clarify things. This really means only 4.7GB since the technology is not up to speed yet to truelly offer the advertised 9.4G. Also the 4.7GB is really 4.26gb (the Marketing people who decided to call it "4.7gb" media were using 1000kb per mb instead of 1024kb). For HFS filesystems (Macintosh), this is really under 4gb if you want to read back on iris, using the existing software.
The drive is capable of seen every directory under /home and store it on the DVD.
You can copy only one directory at a time.
You can readback from the DVD disc on iris make a new directory that contains both old and new data and save it as a new directory.
To access the drive ssh into iris, better login on its console. The GUI is accessed through Netscape. Luminex, a new NIS group has been created that allows all of us to use our login UID and passwd to access the drive.
Point Netscape to:
Example: http://iris.astro.virginia.edu:9999
The GUI Logon page will be displayed. Login using your astsun UID and passwd. It will take a while till the GUI comes up, this is why I recommend you use it on the console of iris.
Start Page
While the Blue area of the Start Page appears at once the left-side area takes a while. This is an unfortunate feature of the software which was made to manage libraries and not just one DVD drive. The icons on the left of the Start page represent the available programs. NET-XXX users will mostly be concerned with the Create Media options within 'Library'.
Click on the 'Library' icon to go to the main page for that program.
The Navigation Bar will display the program selected, with the icons below it representing the available options. Use the Navigation Bar to switch between available programs. I recommend you stick with Create Media and Manage Media:
Create Media Page
This option is used to record a directory to the DVD-RAM media. Note that the entire directory is formatted into the specified filesystem standard(s) - ISO9660 plus HFS, Rockridge and/or Joliet and recorded. You CAN NOT record one directory and later on record a second directory. You would have to read back the original directory, merge the two directories on one new directory and record this last one. ANY DVD-RAM media you put in the drive, unless write-protected, will be overwritten if you create a new filesytem on this disc. Major functions are:
- Format an Image
- Copy a Disc
- Record a Preformatted Image
- Format and Record an Image
I strongly recommend that you use the last function, the Format and Record an Image function this does all you want very efficienty. Click on Format and Record an Image.
Format and Record an Image
The "Source Directory" and "Volume Identifier" fields MUST be entered before selecting Formatting Options. The "Source Directory" is the directory you want to save on the DVD, say /home/faculty/kx8u or /home/raid0/kx8u/subdirectory. It is recommended that before you start the process you do "du -sk ." while you are in the directory you want to save. This tells you in kilobytes the amount of data you have. Make sure that this is not more than 4.7GB.
The "Volume Identifier" is the required. Could be something like my_home. When you read back from the DVD the directory my_home will be mounted under /iris/library.
Warning: Volume IDs cannot contain colons ( : ), double quotes (""), single quotes ( ' ) or commas ( , ). Volume IDs consisting of all digits cannot begin with a "0".
Formatted images are always ISO9660. Add HFS, Rockridge and/or Joliet filesystems by clicking the appropriate box(es). I STRONGLY recommend that you check the rrip box, since this allows long file names to be save.
Formatting Options
Image Filename - Filename of the formatted image.
Default is: "/tmp/image.dat"No need to be concerned about this fieldApplication ID - Specifies the application ID field of ISO9660 filesystems. Usage format is upper case, no spaces.
Default is: none. No need to be concerned about his fieldPreparer - Specifies the preparer field of ISO9660 filesystems. Usage format is upper case, no spaces.
Default is: none, No need to be concerned about his fieldPublisher - Specifies the publisher field of ISO9660 filesystems. Usage format is upper case, no spaces.
Default is: none. No need to be concerned about his fieldFollow Symbolic Links - Specifies whether to include files pointed to by symbolic links.
Default is: no, If you have Symlinks in the directory you want to copy check this boxIgnore Directory Depth - Specifies whether to ignore the 8-level directory depth restriction when formatting ISO9660 filesystems. Note that most systems can handle >8 levels, but some cannot. Specifying 'yes' will allow recording of discs with >8 levels of directory depth, but will violate the ISO9660 standard.
Default is: noInclude All Files - Specifies whether to include all files in the source directory. Normally, files beginning with "#" or ending with "~" are excluded. Useful for backups.
Default is: yesGenerate Translation Table - Specifies whether to create a translation table. For special purposes only.
Default is: noFilename Translation - Specifies whether to format to ISO9660 level 1 or level 3. Level 3 allows longer filenames, but may not be readable on some platforms.
Default is: ISO9660 1Keep UID and GID - Specifies whether to keep the original User/Group IDs and file modes when including Rockridge extensions. Useful for backups.
Default is: YES, i have changed this in the startup filesTidy Up Folders - For HFS. Specifies whether to initialize the Finder info so icons are aligned, as opposed to their original location when recorded.
Default is: noHFS Protocol - Only used when formatting an HFS filesystem, this option specifies the format of the source directory. Helios means the source directory is controlled by Ethershare, Xinet means the source directory is controlled by Xinet.
Default is: none
You can return now to the main Format and Record menue and click on the recording options.
Recording Options
Number of Copies - Specifies the number of discs to be recorded.
Default is: 1 copySlots with Blanks - Either 'Next Available', or 'Specified' by entering the slot numbers (jukeboxes only), separated by commas or "-" (not applicable to NET products).
Default is: Next AvailableRecording Speed - Specifies the recording speed (CD-R only).
Default is: "speed=" parameter in jbutil.cfgVerify Recording - Specifies whether to verify the media after recording.
Default is: noMount when Finished - Specifies whether to mount the volume after recording.
Default is: noSimulate Record - Specifies whether to simulate recording the image.
Default is: no
Basically there are not many options you can change here in the recording menue. Go back to the main Format and Recording menue anc click RECORD
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Reading directory from the DVD
Click on Library and get into the Library menue.
Click on Managing Media
Click on Choose a slot and type 1. There is only one slot anyway but you have to type it. As i said before this software is really built for managing multiple volume libraries not just one DVD drive and there is a lot of redundancy.
Now Click on LOAD and you will be prompted with a menue.
Click LOAD on this menue since there is not really much to choose. What will happen is that the Volume ID that you gave before will be used to mount under /iris/library/ the contents of the DVD disc.
Cd into /home/iris/libraby/.... what ever the Volume ID of the disc is.
You can now choose to copy one file or subdirectories or the whole disc anywhere under /home. The permisions should have remained the same as when you copied the file over. Suppose your Volume ID is called my_home. Do cd /home/iris/library/my_home. You can ls to see your files but remember you are now physically on the DVD and if your do du -sk . the answer will not be correct, neither you can maniputale the files since the system is read only at this stage. You can do find . -print |cpio -pdvm /home/faculty/kx8u/restored, assuming that this directory exists to copy all the contents of the DVD under this directory and use them.
Do not forget to remove the DVD disc from the drive, since this will unmount the directory on /iris/library as well. You can keep the log file that will remind you of the contents of your directory.
Luminex recommends utilizing the Web-based GUI, in conjunction with the Startup and Utility Preference files, for typical filesystem recording. The Fire Series command line interface (CLI) is intended for users requiring an interface compatible with custom UNIX shell scripts or other existing programs. Note that CLI usage screens for all Fire Series utilities are available through the "-h" modifier (i.e. ./jbrec -h).
You will save yourself a lot of trouble if you ssh on iris and cd /usr/loca/luminex and run jbrec from here. I have contacted Luminex for a fix.Here is an example of recording: /usr/local/luminex/jbrec -a -I source=/home/faculty/kx8u/admin,volume_id=man_test, rrip=yes,keep_mode=yes,include_all=yes -R image=/tmp/image.dat
Usage: ./jbrec [-a] [-C] [-D mount_options] [-d disc1[,disc2]...] [-h] [-I image_options] [-j filename] [-l filename] [-P] [-R recorder_options] [-v] -w directory]
-a Without this modifier, menus are presented for setting formatting, recording, and mount back parameters.
-C Specifies recording of a pre-existing image. Image formatting is not done. If '-a' is specified, the default is to format and record the image. Otherwise, the user is prompted for what to do.
-D mount_options Specifies the parameters for mounting back recorded media. The parameters are a comma separated list of keyword=value pairs. Valid keywords are:
mount_id=string Specifies the mount block ID for the filesystem entry in the media database. The default is LUMINEX.
device=string Specifies the device containing the filesystem. If '-a' is specified, the default is to choose the first /dev/rjb directory found. Otherwise, the user is prompted for the correct device.
mount_point=string Specifies the mount point for the filesystem. Overrides mount_prefix.
mount_prefix=string - Specifies the prefix of the mount point. The mount block ID is appended to the prefix to form the mount point of the filesystem. The default is /library/.
export_prefix=string Specifies the path used to export filesystems to clients. The default is /exportcd.
perm_file=string Specifies the name of the permanent file and turns on using of permanent files. Overrides perm_prefix. The default is to not use permanent files.
perm_prefix=string Specifies the prefix of the name of the permanent file and turns on using of permanent files. The mount block ID is appended to the mount_prefix to form the name of the permanent file. The default is to not use permanent files.
attr=[yes|no] When using permanent files, specifies whether or not to permanently capture file attributes and directory names. The default is no.
ram=integer When using permanent files, specifies the number of permanent file entries that are cached in RAM. The default is 300.
file=file_parameters When using permanent files, specifies the number 1KB blocks to permanently capture when reading from files. This number can be specified on a file by file basis and is specified as 'regular_expression:number'.
fetch_id=string Turns on file pre-fetching and specifies the fetch pool ID to use. The default is don't pre-fetch files.
fetch_count=integer When using fetch pools, specifies the number of 1KB blocks to pre-fetch when reading from files. "0" means to pre-fetch entire files. There is no default.
strip_version=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to remove the version number, ';1', from ISO9660 filenames. The default is no.
lower_case=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to translate filenames to lower case. The default is no.
strip_period=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to strip trailing periods from filenames. The default if not to strip the trailing period.
fstype=filesystem Specifies the type of filesystem that is mounted. Valid filesystems are ISO9660, rrip, hsfs, hfs, generic, and pseudo. By default, the media is probed for valid filesystems.
partition=integer If the filesystem is HFS, specifies the Macintosh partition that is mounted. The default is the first partition.
merge=[yes|no] If multiple filesystems are mounted on the same mount point, specifies whether to merge the directories. By default, the last filesystem mounted hides the other filesystems.
dos=[yes|no] If yes, the same as fstype=ISO9660, strip_version=yes, and lower_case=yes.
use_volume_id=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to use the volume ID as the mount block ID. The default is no.
force_lower=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to force the mount point to be all lower case. The default is no.
-d disc1[,disc2...] If the recording device is a library, specifies the list of media that is used for recording. The list of media is a comma-separated list of slot numbers. The default is to get the list of media from the media database file.
-h Print the help (usage) screen.
-I image_options Specifies the parameters that are used to format the filesystem image. Parameters are a comma-separated list of keyword=value pairs. Valid keywords are:
source=string Specifies the source directory for the new filesystem. There is no default.
image=string Specifies the name of the resulting image file. The default is /tmp/image.dat.
follow_links=[yes|no] Specifies whether to follow symbolic links when generating the filesystem image. The default is no.
volume_id=string Specifies the volume ID for the new filesystem. The default is LUMINEX_CDROM.
ignore_depth=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to ignore the eight-level depth limit of ISO9660 filesystems. The default is no.
include_all=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not include all files in the source tree. By default, files ending in '~' and '#' are excluded.
gen_trans_table=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to generate a file containing the translation between source filenames and ISO9660 filenames. The default is no.
application_id=string Specifies the application id field of the ISO9660 volume header. There is no default.
preparer=string Specifies the preparer field of the ISO9660 volume header. There is no default.
publisher=string Specifies the publisher field of the ISO9660 volume header. There is no default.
rrip=[yes|no] Specifies whether or no to include Rockridge extensions. The default is no.
keep_mode=[yes|no] When including Rockridge extensions, specifies whether or not to keep the file mode, UID, and GID of the source. The default is no.
hfs=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to include HFS filesystem structures. The default is no.
iso9660=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to record just an ISO9660 filesystem.
tidy_folders=[yes|no] When recording an HFS filesystem, specifies whether to reset the position of file icons. The default is no.
joliet=[yes|no] Specifies whether or not to include Joliet extensions. The default is no.
protocol=hfs_protocol Specifies the AFS protocol used when recording HFS filesystems. Valid protocols are xinet, xinet9, tas, ipt, helios. The default is xinet9.
translation=trans_scheme Specifies the translation scheme used to translate source filenames to ISO9660 filenames. Valid schemes are iso1 to translate to ISO9660 level 1, iso3 to translate to ISO9660 level 3, and none to perform no translation. The default is iso1.
-j filename Specifies the name of the jb utilities configuration file. The default is jbutil.cfg.
-l filename Specifies the name of the error log file. If the name ends in ':', the ':' is stripped off and the name is used exactly as specified. Otherwise, the process ID is appended to form the name of the error log. The default is /tmp/jbrec.log.
-P Specifies formatting of the filesystem image without actually recording the image. If '-a' is specified, the default is to format and record the filesystem. Otherwise, the user is prompted for what to do.
-R recorder_options Specifies the parameters that control recording to media. Parameters are a comma-separated list of keyword=value pairs. Valid keywords are:
device=string The recording device. If '-a' is specified, the first /dev/rjb directory is used. Otherwise, the user is prompted for the recording device.
copies=integer The number of discs to record. The default is 1.
image=string The source image to record. If image refers to a device, a filesystem stored in the device will be duplicated.
slot=integer If image is a device, the storage slot of the disc being duplicated. The default is 1.
concurrent=integer Specifies the number of discs that can be recorded concurrently. The default is 1.
speed=speed For CD-R. Specifies the recording speed. Valid speeds are 'single' for 1X, 'double' for 2X, 'quad' for 4X, 'hex' for 6X and '8x' for 8X. The default is 'single'.
simulate=[yes|no] For CD-R and DVD-R. Specifies whether or not to simulate recording. The default is to actually record the media. Note: This feature not recommended for Teac CD-Rs (can render CDs unrecordable).
verify=[yes|no] Specifies whether to verify recorded filesystems by comparing to the original image. The default is no.
mount_back=[yes|no] Specifies whether or no to mount-back recorded filesystems. The default is no.
-v Prints out the version of jbrec and exits.
-w directory Specifies the working directory, the location where configuration files and helper utilities are located. The default is the current working directory.
Preference Files
Utility Preferences
The Fire Series utilities read a configuration file (jbutil.cfg) to determine user preferences. Uncommented lines in the file will override the compiled default actions and values for the utilities. The GUI provides an easy to use text editor to assist with editing this file. An example file is included with the software.
Note that you can set up multiple config files, then specify which one to use (via the command line - the GUI always uses jbutil.cfg) during mounting or recording to perform different default actions (i.e. jbutil1.cfg to format and mount as iso + HFS, jbutil2.cfg to format and mount as iso + Joliet, etc.)
Valid keywords and values are shown below.
yes|no indicates yes or no
a|b|c indicates either a or b or c are valid entries
string indicates any string of characters
directory indicates any valid directory name
integer indicates any valid positive integer
identifier indicates the name of a previously defined identifier
General Options
device=directory - Specifies the device (/dev/rjbx) to use for mounting or recording disks
import =yes/no- Specifies whether to physically import the disc into the device.
General Recording and Formatting Options
space = file - Specifies the image file to use for recording (CD-R and DVD-R).
automount =yes/no - Specifies whether to automatically mount discs after recording.
logfile= file - Specifies the file to use for logging formatting and recording information.
Formatting Options
source = directory - Specifies the directory where the source files are located.
volumeid= identifier - Specifies the volume ID to use for formatting. Note that volume IDs consisting of all digits cannot begin with a "0".
follow_links =yes/no - Specifies whether to include files pointed to by symbolic links.
rockridge =yes/no - Specifies whether to include Rockridge extensions.
hfs = yes/no - Specifies whether to create a hybrid HFS and ISO9660 filesystem.
joliet = yes/no - Specifies whether to add Joliet extensions.
deep_directories= yes/no - Specifies whether to ignore directory depth when formatting ISO9660 filesystems. For special purposes only.
include_all =yes/no - Specifies whether to include all files in the source directory. Useful for backups.
trans_table = yes/no - Specifies whether to create a translation table. For special purposes only.
no_translation = yes/no - Specifies whether jbrec should translate filenames to valid ISO9660 level 1 names. Special purposes only.
application_id = string - Specifies the application ID field of ISO9660 filesystems. Usage format is upper case, no spaces.
preparer= string - Specifies the publisher field of ISO9660 filesystems. Usage format is upper case, no spaces.
publisher = string - Specifies the publisher field of ISO9660 filesystems. Usage format is upper case, no spaces.
keep_attributes =yes/no - Specifies whether to keep the original User/Group IDs and file modes when including Rockridge extensions. Useful for backups.
protocol = helios|xinet|ipt|tas - Specifies the format of the source directory when formatting an HFS filesystem. 'helios' means the source directory is controlled by Ethershare, 'xinet' means the source directory is controlled by Xinet.
General Recording Options
speed = single|double|quad|hex|8x - Specifies the recording speed (CD-R only).
test_write = yes/no - Specifies whether to simulate recording the image. Can be used for testing throughput to CD-R or DVD-R.
verify = yes/no - Specifies whether to verify the media after recording.
Startup Preferences
The Fire Series reads the lfsd.cfg configuration file at startup to determine user preferences. Uncommented lines in the file will override the compiled default startup actions and values. The GUI provides an easy-to-use text editor to assist with editing this file. An example file is included with the software.
The Startup Preferences file is separated into three sections: OPTIONS, followed by RAM CACHE, followed by FETCH POOL preferences.
A major difference between the format of the Startup preferences file and the Utility preferences file is that a ";" is required at the end of each keyword line in the startup preferences file.
Most users will only be concerned with the "Option Preferences" portion of the lfsd.cfg file, detailed below. Typically, the only change will be to the daemons line (to enable multithreaded access to the server).
Option Preferences
default; - Causes the Fire Series to act as the default NFS server.
daemons=integer - The number of threads that can be used.
port= integer - Causes the Fire Series to respond to I/O requests at the specified system port address.
xinet; - The Appleshare server is Xinet K-Ashare.
xinet9; - The Appleshare server is Xinet K-Ashare version 9 or greater.
helios; - The Appleshare server is Helios Ethershare.
ipt; - The Appleshare server is IPTech uShare.
tas; - The Appleshare server is Syntax Total Access.
Advice and Troubleshooting
When Problems Occur
If you are experiencing any problems, we suggest that you view the Fire Series error log file(s) - particularly the jbrec.log(s). The logs may reveal more information to help you and the Luminex technical support team to resolve the problems. You can use the GUI Tools to view the error log(s).
Upgrading your OS
We recommend that you visit the support section of our web site (www.luminex.com) to get more information about upgrading operating systems. If you are simply upgrading your OS, often no changes to the Fire Series will be required. However, there are circumstances where you will need to get a new version of the Fire Series and re-install the software.
Moving to Another Computer
If you need to move your recording device and the Fire Series software to another computer, you will need to obtain a License Transfer Request Form. This form is available from our web site (www.luminex.com). You will also need to re-install the software.
SCSI Bus Resets
This problem typically occurs when there is a termination or SCSI bus length problem. Double check the termination of the SCSI bus and check the length of SCSI cables being used. The maximum recommended SCSI cable length for a single ended SCSI bus is 6 meters (less for some systems). Also, ensure there are no conflicting SCSI ID's, or bent/broken pins on the SCSI cables.
Sun Sparc with Multiple SCSI Controller Cards
If a Sun Sparc with multiple SCSI controllers is being used, the Fire Series will automatically detect supported devices and therefore you will not have to know the card number of the card that is driving the device. However, you can find this information with a little back-tracking. First, get a list of all your buses from a probe-scsi-all. Find the bus that has your library attached to it. Then, after booting, execute a ls of the /dev/lpt directory (if you have already installed the Fire Series software and probed for new devices using the jbcfg.sh or during the automatic install). You will see entries of the form cXtYlZ. If you execute a ls -l, you will see them point back to a very long filename. One of these paths will match the SCSI bus address you obtained from probe-scsi-all. X will be the controller number to use when you install devices.
NOTE: The number that lpt uses may be different than the number that other drivers (such as /dev/dsk) use.
Long File Names not Seen
Keep in mind that not all operating systems support Rockridge and Joliet filesystems. If you move media recorded in the Rockridge or Joliet format to a system that does not support these filesystem formats, you will only see the ISO9660 filesystem, which is recorded on the disc by default.
Multi-Session Discs
Multi-session discs are not supported by UNIX or the Fire Series. Do not attempt to load them.
"Unknown Command" Messages
Use a dot and a slash in front of the command (i.e.: ./jbrec). This is because the current directory (called dot) is not in your path. By putting the ./ in front of the command you are specifically telling the command shell processor to look in the current directory for the command and execute it.
About SCSI
SCSI (pronounced "scuzzy") stands for Small Computer System Interface. SCSI is an industry standard for connecting peripherals to computers. All Luminex products are SCSI-2 compliant.
A SCSI chain is a series of SCSI devices connected to a single SCSI adapter. A cable connects the adapter to the first device on the chain, another cable connects the first device to the second, and so on. The total length of all the cables in the SCSI chain cannot exceed 6 meters (18 feet) - less for some systems.
SCSI ID is an address number, ranging from 0 - 7, that is assigned to each SCSI device. Each device in a SCSI chain must have a different SCSI ID. The SCSI host adapter itself is often assigned ID 7, leaving 0 - 6 available for devices attached to the adapter.
LUN, or SCSI LUN ID, is a secondary SCSI address, ranging from 0-7, that is assigned to each SCSI device. LUN stands for Logical Unit Number. Every SCSI device is identified by a SCSI ID and a LUN associated with that ID. Typically, a device LUN is 0.
A SCSI chain must be terminated at both ends. One end is terminated by the SCSI adapter, or by the computer's internal peripherals. On the library, the SCSI chain is terminated if the termination switch is in the "ON" position.